Feedback from the Frontlines of Travel
"Subject: Bank Of America Bait & Switch Continues
"Just thought I would mention I signed up for the new BOA Amex Virgin card online recently.
"A broad based sign up offer that promises proudly 20k in VF miles after first purchase and other point bonus opportunities at 90 dollars a year for the annual fee. Having seen rampant bait and switch on offers from this bank with partners Alaska and US Air I knew to immediately clarify the offer before using the card through their contact center.
"Sure enough they lowered my mile acquisition offer without any notification and I took their most expensive premium affinity card. When I asked why I was told it is typically done to those with credit problems. However she noted I had perfect credit with no outstanding debt of any kind and I shouldn't have been downgraded.
"Now mind you some of this might be acceptable if they notify their customers in advance that they won't be fulfilling on their promise However what they do is get their annual fee first then refuse to refund once the card has been used for any purchase of any kind.
"When I mentioned this is historically an ongoing pattern at BOA and should be exposed publicly she said don't threaten me and hung up the phone. I was also refused the right to speak with a supervisor. It's business as usual at BOA. They continue to be the most dishonest bank I have ever encountered in thirty plus years." [Don H.]
In a follow-up email, Don had the following to say on loyalty programs generally:
"I find myself wondering what is really necessary and should these carriers be risking the reputation of their programs by implementing fees while not making attempts to create new more sensible revenue streams elsewhere? Instead they attack their best profit center.
"On another note my airline mile earnings efforts will be shrinking and my hotel points increasing. I don't trust the airlines to make good decisions while their jobs are on the line and desperation drives the end of the day outcome."
"Recently I tried to redeem (with miles) a r/t for 2 from Tel Aviv - Istanbul. US Air forced me to pay a booking fee of $25 dollars on each of the tickets. When I objected and refused to pay I was put thru to a dept. manager. I explained that the US Air website does not permit you to book for international travel, thus I should not be penalized. Nonetheless I was charged, I then took the matter up with AMEX, I am still waiting for a resolution.
"I have accepted that the airlines are trying to make-up their profit losses on the backs of their most loyal clients. Charges for USING your hard earned miles is only 1 way the airlines make up their losses, the 'buck' won't stop here. The travelling public desperately needs a way to 'unionize' and form coalitions that can help to insure our ability to use our mileage awards without charges." [S. Elliott - New York]
"The airlines seem to think that they can survive with out their loyal customers. Are they in for a rude awakening.
"I have been a loyal member of AA, UA, US and others for over 10 years, and even with the other issues with airlines always felt that they wanted my loyalty. Of course that is not the case, because they want to nickel and dime me. So, I am on a quest to figure out how I use up my miles with the least about of ding to me and then I will be happy to call the customer service department to ask them to cancel my account. If enough customers give the airlines the middle finger they will get the point. Don't screw with your loyal customers, because you will be screwing yourself.
"Let them die a slow death, while I give my business to airlines who care for me." [Upen P.]
"I live in Hawaii and recently purchased two coach tickets from LIH to ORD in November. The tickets cost $1,200 each. When I used miles to upgrade to First, American charged me $150 each way per ticket as an extra fee to use my miles. My total cost was almost $3,000 for the two tickets.
"Additionally, they are eliminating the nonstops between Honolulu and Chicago so I am routed through Dallas both ways. Apparently, the $150 charge applies only to flights to or from Hawaii. The airlines have always made an exception for Hawaii residents but that has apparently changed. I have over 1,000,000 miles lifetime with American but am rethinking my allegiance to them." [George C.]
"I think the new award ticketing fees are a mistake.
"AAdvantage remains a huge asset for American and to some extent the company just devalued that asset. Sure, I'll still collect the miles I earn when I fly and later spend the $5+ to book my free ticket. But I'm not exactly doing cartwheels over here when thinking about paying $80 for the co-brand credit card and an additional fees for booking the ticket. I think Citibank and the other carrier card companies may put some pressure on the airlines to minimize the free ticket fees. If nothing else, this would be a big talking point when the carriers go to negotiate their contracts with the credit card companies.
"Imagine if you had opened up the Citi AAdvantage credit card five years ago for the purpose of accumulating enough miles to take a first class trip to Europe this year. In those five years, American introduced last minute award booking fees, a $300 per direction co-pay for select int'l award upgrades, and now this. The miles have morphed into a depreciating asset from a once lucrative currency." [Glenn S.]
"I have taken the Newark - Bombay nonstop flight on Continental several times in the past year. However, this time when I flew from Bombay to Newark on June 19th, I noticed something that intrigued me, and hopefully you will be able to shed light on it. The Continental website as well as my boarding pass shows 7806 miles for this flight. However, the airshow map that comes up on the screen shows the distance as 8250 miles. I can understand a few miles difference due to taxiing etc. But why this discrepancy of over 400 miles? Are they shortchanging me, or am I missing something?" [Pradeep D.]
"Isn't there actually a law against anyone, whether a retail store or an airline like American to charge for a 'free ticket'? There are specific state laws that disallow this.
"As for Delta's ridiculous $25 Fuel surcharge on FREE tickets ($50 for International), isn't there a specific rule that says an airline cannot charge a fuel surcharge on an award ticket? This is why for so many years awards issued from US owned airlines can charge on the taxes and government fees but not fuel surcharges, while carriers outside the jurisdiction of the USA can, hasn't it? Are the airlines actually doing it while they can get away with it and the government takes their time issuing notices?
"I do understand the crooked airline executive mindset in the current environment... eventually, they will get caught (if they do) and in return of a 'good gesture' they issue travel refund vouchers which one has to pay a fee to use anyway." [Al from Boston]
"Comments on fees to use miles:
"Fees for 'free' trips are bad business. Fees will lower loyalty, decrease casual flying to make mileage thresholds and ultimately will commoditize the flying experience.
"Frequent flyer programs have been assigned values in the billions. By impairing their programs, the bankruptcy courts will not see the continuing value of the enterprise and are likely to liquidate. A more likely scenario is now that the weaker airlines will be liquidated and the stronger airlines will acquire their planes and routes at fire sale prices.
"I know the airlines have tough times, but I don't think the airlines imposing fees have thought through the impact of what they are doing." [Mark C.]
"Sad to say, 'the fee for all' sweeping airline corner offices is the best example yet for a complete government re-regulation of the domestic airline industry.
"But wait! That would put in charge the same officials and Congress who cannot get us out of Iraq at any price.
"At the rate it's all going, perhaps Robert Mugabe will get next year's Freddie Awards." [Ed N.]
"I took my sister-in-law, Diana, to LAX this morning for a 1 PM flight to Portland, OR. The airport was closed down at about 10:30 AM because of a bomb scare (which turned out to be a hoax). The police and TSA would not let anyone enter the airport - it was chaos everywhere.
"Diana made it to United at about 12:30 PM, but United would not let her board. They said that the flight was leaving on time, regardless of the fact that the airport had been closed down and she had no way to get to their terminal. She was booked on a 3:45 PM flight, and United had the gall to charge her $100 for the change. She argued with them but they would not budge. I think this behavior is unconscionable!" [Bernard S. - Los Angeles, CA]
"To whom it may concern
"I am writing to you because of a problem I encountered while traveling with your airline on November 7, 2007. The flight was 578 out of San Diego with a destination of Minneapolis.
"I called your reservation desk and asked about upgrading a ticket to first class. The ticket was being purchased for me by a company I do business with and I requested that they purchase the ticket from American. I used my miles to purchase the upgrade. I was informed that all was in order and a record locator of EVBUIY was given to me. The printout confirmed my flight and my seat assignment. The day before the flight I attempted to check in but was told that I must check in at the airport.
"I decided to leave early to be sure I had enough time to check in. I arrived at the airport two hours before the flight. I checked my bag curbside but the porter was on the phone for 20 minutes and then informed me I had to go to the ticket counter because of some problem. I was second in line at the first class check in but it took almost 20 minutes before I was waited on as there was some problem with a large family in front of me. The ticket person said that there was a problem with my ticket and she needed a certificate number to process me. She made several phone calls and was put on hold each time. Time went by and I began to be concerned. I reported my concern to the agent and she informed me that I need not worry. She said she called ahead to the boarding area and they know I am coming. I said that I couldn't afford to miss the flight and asked why it was taking so long. She said that someone had neglected to process my upgrade and they were doing it now. She said that I could relax and that I would not miss the flight. I asked if I could go to the gate and have her send the number she needed to them there. She said no and then reassured me that I would not miss the flight. I finally got the number and my boarding pass and I ran to security. I went to the first class security and was in a fairly short line but it took about 10 minutes to get through. While in the line I was paged by someone. I told security that I was being paged and they said I could not leave until I was cleared. Once I was cleared I ran to the gate just as the door was closing and presented my pass. The agent told me that I had missed the flight. I told her that I saw that the door had just closed to the ramp and that the plane door was still open. She informed me that they had already given my seat to someone else. I asked if they had been informed that I was coming and she said that she had paged me and I didn't answer. I informed her that I was in security during the page and couldn't respond immediately but that it had only been 5 minutes after your page that I arrived at the gate. It was 8:35 but I was refused boarding.
"I suppressed my anger and calmly waited as they booked me on a flight 4 hours later. The new flight was to St. Louis on a smaller plane with little room in first class and then I had to ride a smaller plane to Minneapolis with no first class at all.
"I had an important meeting scheduled for 6PM which I missed. I had planned this trip two months earlier and had done everything possible to be sure I would be on time.
"I can understand snow storms, hurricanes and other acts of god delaying flights. I understand that mistakes can happen because we are all human. In this case it was a collection of mistakes.
"1. The mistake of not processing my upgrade at the time it was made.
"2. The mistake of allowing me to wait in line for 20 minutes even though I was second in line in the first class line.
"3. The number of phone calls required to get the certificate number.
"4. The time the ticket person was kept on hold.
"5. Poor communication about my arrival delay at the gate.
"6. Giving my seat away, disregarding that they were told I was on my way.
"7. The worst one of all was the lack of concern for my trouble and the attitude that is was my fault that I missed the flight.
"You have been my airline of choice for many years. I have over 1,700,000 miles with you. I stood in disbelief as I watched my flight take off without me and realized what it was costing me. Do you care for your good customers? Do you care if I travel with you again? Do you care about your reputation?" [Paul D. - Encinitas CA]
Until next week...
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